Unusual Jobs Held by Famous Writers

As you may know, my day job is in web design, through my company, Istomedia. I often daydream about working as a full-time author, but that may have to wait until I’m a pensioner, it seems. Still, reading posts like this, from Unplag.com, anti-plagiarism online tools, make me realize just how lucky I am!

You see, it turns out that many big-name writers started from unbelievably weird and underpaid jobs not related to their writing careers at all.

Ken Kesey

Was inspired to write “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” after working as a janitor in a mental hospital and volunteering for a CIA study (Project MKULTRA) when studying. He and other students participating in the experiment were given LSD or mescaline and observed so researchers could see how they reacted while on psychedelic drugs. After that, Kesey decided to share his wretched experience.

Kurt Vonnegut

Was working as a car dealer for Saab (a Swedish car manufacturer). He combined managing the dealership with teaching – by that time he had already had two daughters and jumped at any chance to earn a living.

J.D. Salinger

Worked as an entertainment director on the H.M.S Kungsholm (a Swedish Cruise liner). He was organizing activities for tourists so they wouldn’t get bored while traveling. Can you imagine Salinger being paired as a dance partner to lonely ladies? Well, that’s what he did.

Jack London

Do you know what an “oyster pirate” is? That is a person who steals and resells oysters, and that is what Jack London was. Oysters from the West Coast used to be in high demand, and some people were willing to do anything to get them. Even in his novels London references oyster pirates a few times.

Chuck Palahniuk

This author had an unbelievable amount of occupations before he got a job as a writer. Imagine Palahniuk as a dishwasher, movie projectionist, bicycle messenger, diesel mechanic, or assembly line mechanic for Freightliner. He had all those jobs before becoming a fulltime writer.

Wow. Looking at Cuckoo’s Nest in a different way now. I just assumed it came from a patient’s POV. Interesting. I have a friend who grew up in Maine with Stephen King. She has stories of the family…strange ones.

Salinger is my favourite. Trust Jack London to have such a cool job as oyster pirate. I’ve been in finance, worked in diamonds, waitressed and bartended, did medical trials, tutored and worked as a translator. Sadly no oyster pirating for me!

Very interesting. Just so you have it when I become famous: I was a McDonald’s swing manager, a waitress, almost a call girl (long story), a farmer, a dressage instructor, a certified nursing assistant, a retail record store clerk, an insurance salesperson, an L.P.N. and an R.N.(A.C.L.S., S.A.N.E., and chemotherapy and Forensics certified.) before I became a writer.

It’s in some old novel I started in word a long time ago and never got back to. Maybe some day. But it DID involve a Greek Adonis named Nikatas Theophilous KouKouvas with a penchant for pretty women, guns and drugs.

Interesting. I didn’t know that about Ken Kesey. No wonder the book was so intense. And Stephen King’s job as a janitor at a high school – that would make me consider writing something like Carrie too.

I remember reading that King had witnessed the tragic death of a childhood friend; the boy had been hit by a train. He later claimed to have forgotten all about it, and that he found about about the death many years later. Some believe that trauma is the basis for some of his most troubling stories.

Everyone has to start somewhere. I doubt there are many who were ever ‘just’ writers, unless they were from wealthy backgrounds that is. Still, it is interesting to imagine them in their normal jobs, using some of that experience later, in their books.
Best wishes, Pete.

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